


After Midnight

by Noodlegum



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Bullying, College, Coming of Age, Cute, Cute Tendou Satori, Depression, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Height Differences, Humor, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Love, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Tendou Satori, Protective Karasuno Volleyball Club, Romance, Shiratorizawa, Slow Burn, Volleyball, Young Love, highschool
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24223432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noodlegum/pseuds/Noodlegum
Summary: Yachi Hitoka has been feeling the pressure of the training camp and to escape the tension and stress, she sneaks out every night to get snacks and some alone time. During one of her nightly adventures, she bumps into no other than Tendou Satori, one of the tallest and most frightening people she has ever met."Sure," Tendou friskily replied, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "It’s our little secret."Before she knew it, the Shiratorizawa Red Demon had her wrapped around his finger.
Relationships: Tendou Satori/Yachi Hitoka
Comments: 112
Kudos: 204





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t even know where this is going and there is barely any fandom for this ship, but hey, the words were in my head and I needed to get them out. Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the Haikyuu characters or images. Link to artist will be at the bottom for every image used.

* * *

_**The Red Demon** _

* * *

Once again, she couldn't sleep. It was as if the days got longer and longer every day. She hated to admit it, but she was looking forward to going back home and away from all the testosterone-packed giants and their insatiable hunger for volleyball. Even though she was discovering a new interest that she quite enjoyed, sometimes it was just too much. There was always too much tension in the air, too much power behind every spike and receive, and it always left her head spinning at the end of the day. A part of her hoped the tension would simmer down sense it was only practice games but it turned out to be the complete opposite; the air was heavier than it had ever been, full of anticipation and excitement. Now that they were training to get in to nationals, everyone was putting in 120% into every practice game they had. 

Yachi grabbed onto her stomach in the darkness of the room, her back flat against her mattress as she stared at the ceiling with a frown between her eyes. Midnight was the only time she got hungry, the stress of the day filling her up throughout the day and leaving her famished around this time. Her stomach growled. It wasn’t that she couldn’t eat during the day, it was just hard to find the time; between all the running back and forth to get things for the boys, following the coaches orders, and learning all she could from Kiyoko, it was hard to find a few minutes here and there for herself. And when she could find a few minutes to spare, she was no longer hungry, stress and anxiety filling her up to the rim as she watched the boys play their vicious games.

So now, when everyone was asleep, she would sneak away and go to the convenience store a block away and purchase some snacks to binge on. Something that had become a little secret of hers that she didn't want anyone else to know about. It was her alone time and she needed it if she was going to get through this next week with a sane mind.

As quietly as possible, she sneaked around the room and grabbed her hoodie and shoes that she had left set and ready for her to grab so she wouldn't need to use her flashlight. She had memorized her routine now; the distance between her mattress and her clothes, and her clothes and the door. Once she was out in the hallway, she leaned against the wall and slipped on her shoes and hoodie. She sighed, relieved she hadn’t woken up Kiyoko.

She checked the time: 11:17 PM. Everyone was definitely asleep. Pleased with herself, she began her midnight adventure. She daydreamed about the treats she would get this time. Ice cream, chocolate, gummies, chips, yogurt? Maybe she would stay at the convinience store and make herself some instant ramen with a few add-ons. There was a bounce of excitement in her steps as she strolled through the quiet hallways, her eyes scanning the doors and their numbers, the smallest of fear one of them would open and she would get caught red handed.

The air was a little brisk as she stepped outside, a chill going through her body as she peaked around the streets, making sure there was no one around. This part was always the hardest, where doubt would set in and a drip of fear would go down her spine slowly. She knew it was a bad idea to be out; in the middle of the night, in a city she didn't really know — by herself. 

She took in a deep breath in and stepped onto the sidewalk. It was less than a block away and the streets were well lit. 

"Ooh, if it isn't the tiny-manager-in-training from Karasuno!"

Yachi sprung around, a small and high pitch yelp escaping her lips as she met the tall figure in front of her. Her heart leaped into her mouth, fear grasping a hold of her senses at the abrupt intrusion from the stranger.

The large male burst into laughter, hands on his knees as he folded over, amused at her spooked state. He was wearing an all black hoodie and a pair of sporty black joggers to match. At the very least, it was someone she knew and not a complete stranger. She let a small sigh of relief, hand on her chest as her rattling heart relaxed just a smidgen. The stranger's laughter lightened up as he straightened his back, rising to his full height and revealing his face.

Dark red eyes met her through a mess of red hair. His eyebrows were set high on his face but his eyelids were low, giving him a slightly unimpressed look as he scanned her over. 

It was clear this tall player knew her but she didn’t recognize him, but there was something eerily familiar about his eyes.

The large volleyball player quirked at eyebrow at her and looked up, his hand coming up to touch his semi-wet hair. "You probably don't recognize me cause of my hair. . ." He pushed his hood back with his hand, a tousled mess of red strands spilling out. He shook his head, little bits of water sprinkled onto her and the smell of spearmint drifted through the night air. "Miracle Boy." He eyed her with an amused look on his face as he pointed at himself. "Sa-To-Ri."

 _Of all the people to run into,_ Yachi nervously thought with a tight throat, _Tendou Satori_. 

"H-hi!" She squawked, nervous. "Hitoka Yachi!" 

Memories of Tendou playing against Karasuno started popping up in her head, images of wicked smiles and ground-shaking slams as he fell back on to the ground settled in the front of her mind’s eye. She remembered his cat-like reflexes, how his feet pounded the ground with force as he moved from one side of the court to the next with rapid speed. Agility someone his size shouldn’t have, yet he did, and he used it with frightening ease. She got the jitters, recalling how he was able to read Karasuno like a child’s book for a large portion of the tourney. He was definitely an anomaly amongst all the volleyball players she has met during her time as part of the team. Truly a powerhouse beast. 

Tenduo tilted his head to the side, his smile slipping off his face as he raised a singular eyebrow at her. "What are you up to at this time of night?"

"I-I," she stammered, her cheeks flushing. "I was going for a walk."

His other eyebrow rose, a surprise look on his face. "Tell me something, manager-to-be," he said as he crossed his arms, his eyebrows lowering into a slightly angry frown as he peered down at her with sharp eyes.

"Hmm?" She took a step back, afraid of the look on his face.

"Are you dumb?"

Blood rushed to her head with anger at his question. _What the hell?_ She shook her head side to side, her tongue glued to her teeth.

Tendou hummed, his face softening. "Then why are you sneaking around so late?" He uncrossed his arms and shoved them into his pockets.

Her eyes shifted side to side as her cheeks grew annoyingly hot with slight indignation. "I'm getting—" She squeezed the material of her hoodie, embarrassed. "I'm getting some food."

"Ooh?" He stretched out the sound of the ‘O’, one of his eyebrows rising. "Are you one of those midnight bingers?"

Her stomach did a flip. Apparently he could read people off the court too. She shifted her gaze to the side, her cheeks burning. "No." Man she was a terrible liar.

"Oh." This time it was quick an unimpressed sounding. She looked up at him. He was staring down at her with a curious spark in the corner of his eyes that made her shift on her feet. He probably had one of the most intense stares she has ever seen. So sharp, dagger like. It made the muscles between her shoulders tighten. "I was hoping for a little company to the store," he said, his voice trailing.

"I can go!" She answered too quickly. Damn her nerves. “I was going there anyways. . ."

A pleased smile bloomed on Tendou's face. "O-K."

"Please don't tell anyone!" Yachi begged, her hands clapping together to plea.

A frown formed on his face. "Tell someone? So I can also get in trouble?"

She hadn't thought of that. "Right." If anything, she could get him in big trouble.

Tendou shivered in front of her, a worried look on his face as he stared at nothing in particular. "I don't even want to think about what Wakatoshi would say. . ."

A small laughter bubbled out of her. Comical to think that the man in front of her could be frightened by someone, let alone a teammate.

Tendou’s eyes glided over to her face. "You think that's funny, do ya?" He leaned forward, his face coming into her personal space. The smell of spearmint surrounded her as she looked into his eyes. "I'm sure Karasuno wouldn't want to know that their little female manager likes to go for midnight walks, now would they?"

All the blood pooled at her feet, leaving her lightheaded. He was right: Karasuno would definitely not like that.

Tendou chuckled. "That's what I thought."

"It's our secret!" She blurted out, her cheeks blushing at her words. _Did I just say that_ —

His chuckle stopped as his eye blew wide open at her claim. "Sure," Tendou friskily replied, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "It’s our little secret."

* * *

Yachi wandered through the small store, searching the aisles for her favourite candy bars before making her way to the freezer for some ice cream. She caught Tendou standing by it, his eye peering down at it as he rubbed his chin with one hand, deep in thought as he looked over his choices of ice cream. Her eyes scanned his face, once again surprised by how different he looked with his hair down. She mentally laughed, thinking of Nishinoya, and what he looked like with his hair down. _Maybe they use the same hair gel, too. . ._

"What's your damage, Boss?" Tendou asked, sliding the freezer door open and pulling out two chocolate fudge bars with a joyful look on his face.

"Boss?" She asked, walking over to the freezer and grabbing herself some peach vanilla ice cream.

"Oh, good choice. Though I have to say this brand is better," he reached back into the freezer and pulled out another peach and vanilla ice cream. Out of curiosity and an already interesting night, she put her own ice cream back and took the one he had picked out for her. Or she just didn't want to say ‘no’ to him, because there seemed to be a small threat in the way he looked at her. Something that said: _You're at my mercy, peepsqueak._

"Thank you," she said with nervous nod. _This is how I will die._ Fear bloomed in her chest, dread spreading like ice through her veins. _This demon in front of me will tell everyone about this tomorrow and I’ll lose my opportunity of becoming manager. And then it'll go on my academic record and if that happens, I wont get into university, which means I'll never get a job and—_

"Boss?" She felt something cold press against her head. She looked up, the tip of a chocolate bar ice cream pressing against her forehead gently. Tendou pulled the ice cream away, his eyes curious as he looked down at her. "You look a little warm there."

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of her wild thoughts. "Sorry. I'm ok."

He hunched over slightly, his eyes scanning her suspiciously. "Hmm." He leaned away, straightening his back. "You're kinda scary."

 _The nerve on this guy,_ Yachi thought, laughing nervously up at him. _So I'm scary on top of being dumb? Perfect._

Tendou nodded once. "Yup." He used the ice cream bars in his hand to point at his eyes. "You get this weird look in your eyes sometimes, like a spirit is possessing you or something. I noticed it at practice the other day."

She looked down at the floor, squeezing the purchases in her hands. "Is that so?" Volleyball players really had a way with words. Always so blunt and to the point. She breathed in and let it out slowly, composing herself. ”I’m just stressed,” she said, surprised at her honesty with him.

”Is that so?” He slid the freezer door shut. 

”Yeah,” she continued. ”Which is why I sneak out to get snacks.”

”Oh?” He peered down at her, a curious glint in his eyes. ”So you do this every night?”

She groaned, cornered. She was caught. ”No, not every night. Just. . . Most night.”

They walked over to the cashier, her cheeks growing warm under his scrutinizing gaze. They each payed for their things and left the store. She had a small bag to carry her goodies, while Tendou had only purchased two ice cream so he settled for carrying one in the pocket of his hoodie as he ate the other. There was a happy and child-like look on his face as he ate his ice cream.

They walked back in silence. She wanted to talk, to fill up the heavy silence but she couldn’t relax enough to organize her thoughts and move her tongue to form words. 

She stole a glance at Tendou — who clearly had slowed down his steps to match her pace — and took in his image; of course, like most volleyball players, he was incredibly tall. There was a casual glide to his strides as he walked, but she knew that there was large amounts of power in those relaxed muscles of his. He was like a large panther, controlled and powerful, ready to pounce at any moment. Her eyes continued up, finding the side of his face. Sharp angles and tired eyes hidden behind his tousled hair that was now dry. He looked softer and less intense this way. 

The corner of his red eye snapped down to her, his eyebrow going up as he finished his ice cream. ”Hmm?”

Her heart did a nervous skip. ”Sorry— you just look so different with your hair down.”

He turned his head to face her. ”Do you like it?”

She blushed. _So forward!_

He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back before letting it all fall flat again. ”I told the guys I wanted to try something new and they all said no. Bowl cuts ain’t cool apparently.”

She shook her head side to side. ”It looks fine either way.” A smile pulled at the corner of his lips. Her blood was warm under her skin. Too warm. ”W-Well, it’s your hair, so whatever you choose should be fine with them either way. Besides, it’s too long and layered to be a bowl cut.”

They arrived at the hotel, a sigh of relief escaping her. She could go hide in her usual place now, alone, away from this tall beast with sharp eyes and dangerous smiles. 

Tenduo chuckled and extended his hand out in front of her, his palm facing the sky as he curled his fingers at her. ”Give me your phone and I’ll put my email in it.” He must have seen the confusion on her face. ”So next time you decide to sneak out, I can go with you,” he explained.

”You really don’t have to! I’ll be fine. The store's nearby anyways.” There was no way she was going to give up her precious alone time, especially to someone who made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. 

An irritated look washed over his face as he placed his hand back in his pocket. ”Guess I’ll have to tell your coach about this after all,” he said, a sly look in his eyes. “Can’t have anything happening to you. . .” She reached into her pocket and reluctantly gave him her phone, a defeated look on her face. This demon had her wrapped around his finger. He snorted a laugh, a devious and knowing look on his face as he put his information into her phone. ”Smart choice.”

She nervously nodded, her cheeks warm under his intense stare. ”I’ll let you know.” She grabbed her phone from his long fingers. There was a glint in his eye as he placed his hands into his pockets that made her feel like a mouse. Out of all the monstrous players she has been around since she joined the vollyeball club, Tenduo by far had one of the most intense stares she had ever been under. She shivered. There was no way she was going to invite this guy on her midnight adventures.

”Relax.” She looked up at him, surprised. ”You’re getting that scary look on your face again.” There was playful look on his face, cat-like and innocent as he tilted his head to the side.

 _I can’t get a read on this guy at all!_ It made her all that much more uneasy being around him. _And I’m not the scary one here!_

”I’ll see you around, Boss.” Tendou gave her a small smile before turning on his heel and walking away, waving his hand back and forth casually.

 _Boss?_ She felt nothing like a manager, let alone a boss. “Have a goodnight,” she said, loud enough so he could hear but she wasn’t sure. He continued walking, none the less, disappearing around the corner. 

Her shoulders relaxed as she walked towards the back of the hotel, finding her usual bench under a tree in the parking lot. She sat down with long exhale escaping her lungs. _What a weird night._

She pulled out the ice cream Tendou had suggested, a slight annoyed look on her face as she unwrapped it. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration as she stuck the ice cream in her mouth. She pulled it out and glared at it. 

_Damn it,_ Yachi thought, sticking the tip of the ice cream back in her mouth. _I_ _t’s way better than the other one._

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

**_Concentrate & Relax _ **

* * *

Yachi woke up in the early hours of the morning to the sound of Kiyoko shuffling around the room. Yachi could already hear commotion in the hallways as the boys started waking up, banging on each other's doors to wake up the heavy sleepers. Yachi groaned as she wrapped her pillow around her head and rolled over. It was far too early and everyone was far too loud.  
  
“Run time boys!” She heard the familiar voice of coach Ukai in the hallway. She flinched, startled by a loud knock on the door. “Oh, sorry girls! Wrong door.”  
  
Yachi sat up, her back hunched over as she glared at the wall in front of her with a twitching eye. Her hair was a rat's nest and her eyes were bloodshot, puffy bags decorating them.

"Someone looks a little grumpy today,” Kiyoko teased, an amused smile on her face. She was already changed for the day, sporting a white teeshirt and red joggers. Her hair and makeup prettily done.  
  
Yachi let out a big yawn as she stretched her arms over her head, her muscles stiff and sore. “Just a little tired is all.”  
  
Kiyoko gave her a sympathetic look. "I'll grab some coffee from downstairs while you get ready." She grabbed a clipboard off the table. "We have a big today," she said, lifting a page, her eyes scanning over it. "I would like to go over this paperwork with you before breakfast, too." She lowered the page, her eyes meeting Yachi.  
  
”Right.” Yachi nodded as she got out of bed. She reached up to the ceiling and then folded over, touching her toes. She did this two more times before she walked over to her bag and took out some fresh clothes to change into. Once freshly dressed — a simple green shirt and black yoga pants — she did her hair up her usual way. _I feel like crap_ , she thought, pulling on her hair to secure her scrunchy. She walked back to her bag and grabbed her toothbrush and face wash. "I'll see you downstairs in a bit," she said as she walked towards the door.  
  
Kiyoko nodded at her, her eyes focused on the clipboard as Yachi left the room.  
  
A big yawned escaped Yachi's mouth as she stepped into the hallway.  
  
”Morning, Yachi!”  
  
She turned around and met the overly excited face of Hinata, his hair a morning mess as he smiled at her.  
  
“Goodmorning, Hinata.” She returned his smile. It was hard to stay in a bad mood when around him, his energy and charisma always rubbing off on the surrounding people. “Good luck on your run.”  
  
”Thanks!" He waved at her as he walked away, a spring of energy behind every step he took.

Tsukishima walked out into the hallway, his glasses in his hands as he used his shirt to clean them. “I don’t know how he does it,” he mumbled, annoyed, as he slid his glasses onto his face.

Yamaguchi followed up behind him, yawning as he rubbed his eyes. “Maybe he eats batteries while no one is looking.”

Yachi chuckled. “That would be concerning.”

The boys looked at her, both their heads a tousled mess. She fought a small urge to laugh at their bed heads. 

“Good morning, Yachi,” Yamaguchi said, a warm smile on his face. Tsukishima just nodded at her, his usual cool persona intact. 

Yachi bowed slightly as they walked by her, both the boys feet dragging behind them. Clearly they weren’t as thrilled about their morning run as Hinata.

* * *

Yachi sat across the table from Kiyoko, her eyes gliding over the cafeteria as waves of boys started pouring into the cafeteria, hunger evident in their eyes after their morning run.  
  
“These are files of everyone on the team,” Kiyoko began, placing a large pile of paper in front of Yachi. “You write down things like their times, weight, height, personal records, and their overall general progress. Every two weeks, you give it to coach Ukai. This helps him see everyone at a glance."  
  
Yachi nodded, flipping through the papers as she sipped on her coffee. “They sure have come a long way.”  
  
“They have.” A small smile bloomed on Kiyoko's face, her eyes warm with admiration. It was obvious she had a large amount of endearment for the boys, something that had started rubbing off on Yachi since day one.  
  
“Eat up everyone,” coach Ukai voiced over everyone, a proud look on his face as he looked over his boys. “We have a long day ahead of us.”  
  
In unison, they all barked: ”Yes, sir!”

Yachi didn’t know why but she kept catching herself unconsciously starting at the Shiratorizawa side of the cafeteria. But every time she noticed, she would forcibly snap her attention back to her paperwork.

* * *

Morning came and left faster than she had hoped. Amongst all the paperwork and fatigue she felt, Yachi felt like she was trudging through the day. But the worst part of today was her anxiety. There was a constant cramp on the side of her stomach, like a giant beetle was trying to make its way out from the inside.

She took a deep breath in, trying to control her nerves and clear her mind. She needed to go for a walk, get some fresh air and sunshine so it could boost her mood and energy.   
  
She stood up from the bench. “I’ll be right back,” she said. “I’m going to get something from the vending machines in the cafeteria. Would you like anything?”  
  
Kiyoko shook her head. “I’m fine. Thank you." She pushed her glasses up her nose. "Can you refill the cleaning supplies when you get back? We’re going to clean the floor when everyone goes for lunch.”  
  
"Yup,” Yachi said, smiling. “No problem.”  
  
Kiyoko returned the smile. "Thank you.”   
  
As Yachi stepped outside and walked through the courtyard, she tilted her head up to soak in the sun, enjoying the warmth for a few seconds. She continued walking, passing the second gymnasium, the sound of shoes squeaking against the floor catching her attention. She wrapped her fingers on the threshold of the doors and peaked in, curious to see what the other half of the camp was up to.

  
 **Score:** Shiratorizawa vs Nekoma; 1:0 / 25-23, 7-7  
  
Yachi cowered behind the door, startled by the sound of loud spike. Her eyes snapped towards a midair Ushijima. As soon as he landed from his jump, his feet shifted, squeaking against the floor as he lifted his arms, ready to make the next move.  
  
Yaku received the full blow of the spike, absorbing all of its force with his inner forearms. The ball flew to the side; the power too strong and the spin too fast for Yaku to properly receive. The ball smacked the wall, falling to the ground and bouncing a few times before it rolled silently.

Point to Shiratorizawa. 8-7  
  
 _Good to know his spikes are even scarier now,_ Yachi thought to herself, a nervous and concerned look on her face.  
  
Against her better judgement — knowing exactly what she was signing up for — her eyes casually glanced over all the players, plucking them one by one until her brown eyes locked with a pair of red ones.

Her heart stammered its usual rhythm as she looked at Tendou. He was wearing a grey shirt with a black jersey over it; a pair of black shorts and white volleyball sneakers. His hair was styled up into its usual form, giving him his wild look that he sported so comfortably. He eyed her cooly as he rubbed a towel around his neck, wiping away his sweat.

She flushed, her cheeks turning crimson at the sight of him. Before she combusted, she gave him a quick nod in acknowledgement and tore her eyes from him. She pulled away from the door and continued walking.

Her hand flew to her chest, her fingers digging into the material of her shirt. She felt like her heart was going to explode, the pounding so loud she could hear it in her ears. When was she going to get used to being around all these volleyball players? They always made her so nervous, feeding her anxiety like gasoline to fire. 

She relaxed her shoulders as she walked into the cafeteria, her heart finally slowing down to a steady beat. She walked up to the vending machine and looked over the cold coffee section before dropping a few coins into its slot. A heavy sigh left her lips as she reached into the machine and pulled out her drink.

As she drank her cold coffee, she went over her mental list; first she had refill all the cleaning supplies and prep hot-buckets to clean the floors. Secondly, she had collect all the sweaty towels and jerseys and put them in the washing machine. Once all that was done, she had half an hour to eat but instead she was going use the time to finish whatever paperwork she had missed. After lunch, she had to put everything in the dryer and tighten the nets before the afternoon matches. 

Yachi spun the coffee in the bottle, her face deep in thought as she walked back towards the gym. She purposely went around the long away, avoiding the gym Nekoma and Shiratorizawa were occupying. 

Kickstarting her heart once was enough.

* * *

Yachi scratched the side of her head as she went over her paperwork, checking for areas she had missed. She put little highlights next to information she had to transfer over from the nurses’s office. Height and weight was missing for four of the boys. For all the yapping they did, they always forgot to tell Kiyoko and her the information they actually asked of them. She huffed a laugh, shaking her head.

“How’s it going?” Kiyoko walked up to her and stood next to the table. She had a bowl with fresh fruit in her hand. “You skipped breakfast and lunch,” Kiyoko said, her voice that of a worried mother. “Don’t forget to eat, ok?” Kiyoko placed the bowl in front of her, next to a paper with Hinata’s information.

Yachi smiled, touched by Kiyoko’s kindness. “Thank you.”

Kiyoko nodded, a small smile on her lips. “Take your time to eat. I’ll put everything in the dryer and tighten the nets.” She spun on her heel and began walking away.

”I’ll be quick,” Yachi called out to Kiyoko.

”Don’t be.” Kiyoko smiled at her over her shoulder as she continued walking. 

Yachi’s eyes drifted back to the task at hand, a frown on her lips. Time ticked away as she multitasked working and nibbling on a piece of fruit. 

”Well doesn’t that look fun.” Yachi’s cheeks heated up at the sound of the familiar voice. She tilted her head up, meeting Tendou’s maroon coloured eyes. He blinked at her as he hunched over the table, his eyes drifting over all the papers. He let out a low whistle, his eyebrows going up as he looked at Hinata’s file. “333 centimetres? Shorty can jump!”

Yachi laughed nervously, hiding her shaking hands under the table. “Yeah,” she replied. “He has springs in his feet.”

Tendou slid into the spot across from her, his face resting between his palms as he stared at her from across the table. There was a playful gleam in his eyes that made her skin tingle as he eyed her. “You look a little tired there. Didn’t get much sleep?”

Her stomach did a flip. “Something like that.”

The corners of his lip pulled up, his eyes full of jest as he smiled. “Me too.” 

“Satori.” Yachi and Tendou both turned their heads in the direction of the voice. Ushijima was standing a few feet away, his green eyes piercing as he stared at Tendou. “Let’s go.”

Tendou sighed, an unimpressed look on his face but she could see the flame of excitement in his eyes. He stood up and tapped the table with his hand, his eyes meeting hers briefly. “See you on the court, Boss.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, a fierce look in his eyes as he walked away. 

_It’s just practice. It’s just practice._ She chanted the words in her head, squeezing her knees. She couldn’t fool herself though. Every time Shiratorizawa played against Karasuno, it was like they were playing for the finals all over again. Between all the teams at the camp, the friction of rivalry was most noticeable between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa, skimming the edge of poor sportsmanship. 

Yachi let out a tight exhale and collected all the papers.

* * *

Yachi walked into the gym, carrying a stack of fresh towels and jerseys in basket.

Kiyoko shook her head at her but there was a smile on her face. “You didn’t take your time, did you?”

Yachi laughed as she placed half the towels on the bench. She scratched the back of her head as she balanced the basket on the side of her hip. “Force of habit, I guess.” She walked over to the other side of the gym, placing clean towels and a fresh stack of jerseys for the other team to use. Then she walked around, collecting half full and empty bottles of water. “I’ll go fill these,” she called out to Kiyoko, waving a bottle in the air.

She walked outside and headed for the sinks in the courtyard.

A smile pulled at her lips.

Yamaguchi was under the tap, water pouring onto the back of his head. He pulled his head out and shook his head like a dog, water droplets flying everywhere.

”Not feeling good?” Yachi asked, a sympathetic smile on her lips. Yamaguchi always had the habit of running his head under water before a big match.

He opened his eyes, dark green meeting her brown eyes as water poured down his face. He gave her a sheepish smile. ”Just anxious,” he answered. There was a somber look in his eyes as he shut the water off. “Every time we play Shiratorizawa, it’s like—“

”Your first match against them,” Yachi cut in.

His eyes got wide, his arms flying up. “Exactly!”

“I know what you mean.” She twisted the lid off a bottle and poured out the water. 

“It’s different with them.” Yamaguchi grabbed some of the bottles and started helping her.

”It’s intense.” She chewed the inside of her cheek. She wanted to give him words of encouragement. It was their thing; they always cheered each other up before a match. “But out of all the school you guys play against,” she began, filling up a bottle with water, “they always bring out the most fire in you guys. Besides, once this camp is over, you wont be seeing those third years again.” She twisted the tap off. 

Yamaguchi nodded at her, his spirits slightly more lifted than before. “Not gonna lie,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes drifted to the side. “I wont be missing Ushijima’s ace spikes too much.”

She laughed and he gave her a timid smile, his cheeks rosy under his freckles.

Out of all the people she had met during her short time as manager-to-be, Yamaguchi was the easiest to talk to. Their friendship felt the most organic, built upon their common struggle with anxiety. They always shared different techniques with each other for dealing with stress and stomach aches. 

Yachi looked back up at him as they walked towards the gym entrance. There was a determined look in his eyes, his back straight, confident. He was so different now compared to when she had first met him. He used to be a shaking sweaty ball of nerves in the beginning.

She beamed at him. “You’ve grown a lot, Yamaguchi.”

His ears turned red as he looked at her. “Thanks, Yachi.”

They stepped into the gym. “Good luck out there,” she said.

He nodded at her before jogging onto the court, waving at Tsukishima who was eyeing him with an languid look on his face.

As Yachi walked around the court, her heart started hammering in her chest, her hands shaking slightly as she placed the bottles down on the floor. She felt hyper aware of the gym’s entrance; every time someone walked in, her eyes would snap to the door. 

Her anxiety was at an all time high.

She walked around, collecting strays to put back in the baskets, doing her best to recite conformations in her head. She ran through all her tricks in her mind: _Relax and b_ _reathe in slowly and count each breath out; pinch the skin between your thumb and index; focus on something in the gym, an object to keep you centered; concentrate on how your feet touch the ground. Concentrate. Relax. Concentrate. Relax._

A sharp wave of nausea hit her as her stomach opened up like can of worms. She wrapped both her arms around her body, a pained look on her face as she inhaled sharply. 

”You ok, Yachi?”

She turned around, meeting the large brown eyes of Nishinoya. He blinked at her with curious eyes.

She nodded, her head quickly bouncing up and down. “Yup—“

The sound of powerful spike hitting the ground cut through the air, catching both of their attentions. She turned her body just in time to see the ball whoosh by her head, her hair gently swayed by the force behind it, tickling the side of her nose.

Yachi paled, all her blood draining to her feet, making her lightheaded.

“That’s Ushijima for ya,” Nishinoya said, his eyes fierce as he stared across the gym at Shiratorizawa ace. Nishinoya turned back to face her but she could tell by the look in his eyes that his mind was already on the court. “Watch his spikes if you’re going to collect strays on this side; sense he’s a lefty it’s hard to predict where they’ll fly.” He smiled at her, his face friendly. “Also, try to relax!” He jogged onto the court, his back slightly hunched and his knees bent, ready to receive whatever serve Ushijima hit.

Her eyes followed Nishinoya and they naturally continued their journey across the court until they settled on Tendou. He had an amused look on his face, clearly indulging in the fact that she had almost lost her head.

She adverted her eyes, her face turning red.

_Concentrate. Relax. Concentrate._

* * *

Yachi’s skin prickled with anticipation as she stared at the clock on the wall. Each team had taken a few extra minutes to warm up, making sure they were nice and stretched before starting the real deal.

She walked over to the scoreboard, sitting on the Shiratorizawa side to flip their points. Her hands shook as she wiped the sweat off onto her pants.

”Both teams are serious today,” Kiyoko said, her eyes on the court.

Yachi huffed a nervous laugh. ”They’re always serious.”

Kiyoko smiled. “That’s true.”

”Karasuno’s choice!” Coach Ukai yelled, picking the coin off the floor.

”We choose to serve.” A cocky smile spread across Daichi’s face. 

They got into their positions; Azumane was serving. 

Yachi took a deep breath in, relaxing her muscles as she exhaled. It was going to be a long match.

The ball flew into the air, declaring the beginning of the war.

* * *

**Score:** Shiratorizawa vs Karasuno; 2:0 / 25-23, 29-27

The boys were a sweaty mess on the floor as they heaved, anger and bitterness plastered across their faces as they glared daggers at the ceiling.

The captain sat up first, a smile on his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Let’s go, guys! You know the drill— We lose, we run.”

They all audibly groaned in unison as they rose like zombies off the ground.

Yachi stood, her legs stiff yet weak from having them tense during the entirety of the match. “I’ll collect the towels and replace them.”

“I’ll refill the water bottles.” Kiyoko stood and walked off. 

Yachi grabbed a small laundry basket — already half full — and collected the damp stragglers. The boys were usually quite good at putting them away themselves, but towards the end of every match they always seemed to forget, too caught up in the game. A shiver of disgust went down her spine as she picked up an extra damp towel. 

_Tanaka_ _for sure,_ she thought, quickly chucking the towel in the basket. 

Once she picked up all the towels on Karasuno’s side, a prickle of anticipation spread through her skin as she walked towards Shiratorizawa’s side. The boy’s were gathered around their coach who was sitting down on the bench, listening to him speak. Yachi purposely took her time walking towards them, taking extra unnecessary steps. She was just a few feet away when her eyes glided over one of the taller players, his broad back displaying the number five. She turned away, trying to collect the towels as quickly as possible before their coach finished his speech. She ducked under the benches, picking up a towel that was hiding. 

“Hey.”

Yachi shot up, her back tensed at the sound of Ushijima’s deep voice. She spun around, meeting his green eyes and thick eyebrows. “Y-yes?”

”Here,” Ushijima said, handing her two dirty towels. 

She stretched the basket out towards him and he threw them in. “Thank you!” She stiffly bowed.

Ushijima nodded at her before walking away.

Yachi’s heart skipped a beat as another player approached her, one who’s name she wasn’t familiar with. He was a blocker, that much she knew, and with every step he took towards her, her height difference really started to dawn on her. 

“Can you bring extra towels?” He asked sharply, a serious look on his face as he towered over her. 

“Yes!” Her heart rattled in her chest uncomfortably. 

“Bring us some extra bottles of water too,” Goshiki said, walking up to her. He looked down on her, the same annoyed look on his face as the other guy. 

“Yes!” She tightened her grip on the basket, afraid they would see her shaking hands.

“Oi, oi!” Tendou walked up to them, his hand grabbing Goshiki’s shoulder as he leaned into him with a sharp look in his eyes. “What are we? Animals?”

The two boys turned red as an embarrassed look washed over their faces. The nameless blocker rubbed the back of his head. “Please—”

“Please and thank you!” Goshiki cut in, his eyes wide as he leaned towards her, giving her a small bow. 

“I was just going to say that!” The blocker snapped at Goshiki. 

Tendou tapped Goshiki’s shoulder, a pleased smile on his face. “That’s better.” 

Goshiki smirked at his teammate as they walked away, bantering with each other.

“It’s a good thing they’re good at volleyball,” Tendou joked, grabbing her attention. She looked up at him but his eyes were focused on his teammates, an unimpressed look on his face as he watched the two of them argue in the distance. They reminded her of Hinata and Kageyama, and a laugh bubbled out of her at the thought.

Tendou’s eyes glided back down to her. “You’re welcome to tell them off, you know? Especially if they’re being rude.”

Yachi’s eyes blew open. “N-no! It’s ok.” She nervously laughed, scratching the back of her head. “It’s fine, it’s fine. They’re just focused on the game.” He quirked an eyebrow at her but dropped the subject.

Tendou sighed as he sat down on the bench next to her. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and began peeling the tape off his fingers. From this angle she could see his sweat drip down the side of his neck. She followed a small drop that started by his ear and slithered its way down and over his thick collarbone, eventually disappearing under the collar of his shirt.

She adverted her eyes, her cheeks warm. _Did I just ogl—_

“I thought you were going to throw up earlier when the ball almost hit you,” Tendou harmlessly gibed, a small smile on his face as he pulled the last bit of tape off his finger.

Yachi shifted her weight on her feet, slightly embarrassed as she recalled the event. “I don’t know how you guys receive those spikes.” A shiver went through her body at the thought of ever having to receive such power. “You guys can sure be scary at times.” She scratched her nose, a sheepish smile on her lips as she met his eyes.

Tendou blinked at her, an innocent look on his face as he pointed a finger at himself. “Me? Scary?” He waved her off, a fake pout on his lips. “Yeah right.” He looked at her from the corner of his eye, his pout turning into a smirk that made her skin tingle. 

She flushed as she adjusted her hold on the basket. She needed fresh air. “Good luck on your second match,” she said, her voice slightly shaking.

He tilted his head to the side, a smile on his face as he waved goodbye. “See ya.”

She turned around and began walking, hyper aware of Tendou’s red eyes on her back.

* * *

**Score:** Shiratorizawa vs Karasuno; 1:1 / 25-23, 22-25, 23-24

The second game went by slower, both teams exhausted, scraping by on their last little bits of stamina. But when it came to stamina, Karasuno usually outlived their opponents.

All they needed was one more point and they would win.

Yachi’s large eyes scanned the court as she tightly gripped onto her knees, watching as a chance ball flew up on Karasuno’s side. Kageyama caught it briefly, setting it into the air. Yachi leaned forward on her seat with anticipation. Azumane jumped into the air, spiking the ball— only to be shut down by Tendou, scoring a point for Shiratorizawa.

It was 24-24 now. 

Yachi exhaled, realizing she had been holding her breath. She leaned back into her chair, her heart aching from all the excitement. She looked over at Tendou, who had a smug look on his face as he sneered at a huffing and puffing Azumane.

”Their blocker really is something else,” Kiyoko said quietly, only so Yachi could hear.

Yachi looked over at Kiyoko as she flipped the scoreboard. “Yeah. . .” 

The match continued, the ball going back and fourth between both sides until Kageyama caught Shiratorizawa off guard with a setter dunk. Now Kageyama had a smug look on his face that said _‘Gotcha’_ as he eyed Tendou. Tendou’s and Goshiki’s eyes were like knives as they glared through the net at Kageyama. A shiver went down Yachi’s spine at the sight.  
  


 _“Me? Scary?”_ Tendou’s question rung in her memory. She nodded to herself. _Yup!_

It was 25-24 now.

Once again the ball was in the air, everyone’s eyes hungry as they followed it. Ushijima jumped, spiking the ball between Tsukishima and Tanaka, but it got received by Nishinoya. 

”Chance ball!” 

Like a synchronized army, Karasuno moved together in tempo as Kageyama set the ball up in the air. They all jumped together but Yachi’s eyes were focused on Tendou. His eyes were wide as he scanned everyone in Karasuno, like a large cat zeroing in on his prey. His shoes squeaked on the ground as he pivoted on his heel and bolted to the other side of the net, agile and full of power, even after hours of constant physical activity. He crouched and then jumped into the air, grazing the ball with his fingers after a spike from Hinata.

“One touch!” Tendou yelled, landing on his feet.

The ball was received in the back by their libero, throwing it back in the air. “Chance ball!”

Yachi once again leaned forward in her chair, her hands a sweaty mess as she gripped her knees.

The ball was thrown at the setter — Yachi’s eyes wide as she followed it — and both Goshiki and Ushijima jumped. The ball flew to Goshiki, who spiked it with force.

The ball flew right into Tsukishima’s block, who stuffed it. The ball hit Shiratorizawa’s side with a loud smack.

Match set. Karasuno won; 26-24.

There was a heavy silence in the air as Yachi slid down her chair, her heart a battered mess in her chest from all the stress of the match. She gripped onto her shirt, a heavy sigh of relief escaping her.  
  
Then all at once Karasuno screamed in victory as they rallied around Tsukishima, jumping on him as they ruffled his hair and patted his back.

Tendou audibly sighed, his hands on his hips as he stared at the ceiling with an annoyed look on his face. “Mr. Vanilla strikes again.”

Some of Shiratorizawa members growled in anger and others groaned with bitter defeat, their hands fisted and their eyes like daggers. Goshiki looked about ready to blow a fuse as he stared at Tsukishima.

”Penalty laps,” Ushijima said, his voice like a knife, cutting through the tension in air. “Let’s go.” 

They all groaned, bitter looks on their faces as they jogged out of the gym, their sneakers squeaking against the polished floor. Tendou lingered as he tilted his head forward, his eyes meeting Yachi’s briefly. He smiled, the frightening mask he wore during the match gone. He spun on his heel and followed after his teammates, his strong shoulders bouncing as he jogged.

Finally, the day was over. 

* * *

**Author’s Note:** I would just like to say thank you to _judieann0513, AshyashFawn, Tonobread, Alo, and Sapphire_riceball_ for leaving such nice comments. Thank you guys! Also, thank you to everyone who left After Midnight a lovely Kudo. You guys rock! ^.^


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

_**Janus-faced** _

* * *

Saturday morning came with a glorious sunrise and Yachi soaked in the first few rays of sunlight that poured into the room from the window. For once, she was up before Kiyoko.

After she had finished closing the gym yesterday, she had gone straight for a shower and then dove into bed like an olympic diver, the exhaustion overwhelming her. After the day she had had, she thought about nothing but hugging a pillow and drifting off into the sweet darkness of sleep.

She rolled over onto her other side and grabbed her phone, checking the time; it was 5:57 AM. Today was Saturday, which meant half-day for the camp so there was no morning run and there was only two full games instead of four or five. In other words, everyone was going to happily be snoozing in until later; which meant she had time for herself before the world started fully turning on its wheels.

She sat up and reached for her toes, holding the stretch as she thought about her day. For the most part, she had a free day so maybe Kiyoko and her could go somewhere, hangout and get some food.

She leaned back half way, her hands resting on her knees as she looked at a sleeping Kiyoko; she had her eyes closed, her mouth slightly opened as she breathed. It felt wrong to disturb her sleep, considering how hard they’ve been working. Plus, Kiyoko had been very considerate of her when she had gone to bed early last night, making sure to keep the lights and noise to a minimum, so it was only right she return the favour.

As quietly as possible she moved around the room, changing clothes and doing her hair. She sported a simple pair of blue skinny jeans and a white teeshirt and her white Adidas. She tied her hair up into a simple short ponytail, playing around with her bangs until she was happy with them.

She left the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click as she headed for the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.It was odd how quiet the hallways were as she walked through them, now used to the morning calls of her coach and a bunch of rowdy boy.

Except for the loud snore that slipped from underneath one of the doors.

Her eye double in size at the rambunctious snore, astonished someone’s lungs could produce such a deep and guttural sound. _Azumane?_ She wondered, slightly amused. _No. It’s probably Tanaka or Nishinoya. Maybe Hinata? Possibly Daichi. . ._

Whoever it was, they sure had a pair lungs.

She walked into the bathroom and headed to the sinks. She brushed her hair and washed her face and gave herself a look over in the mirror. She gently poked at the bags around her eyes. _It’s better today,_ she thought with a sigh. _At least I don’t look completely dead._

She walked back to her room and put her things away before grabbing her purse and leaving the room once more. _Maybe I’ll just do this instead of sneaking out at night,_ she thought, walking out onto the street. She pulled out her phone, checking the area for a cafe. She flicked her thumb across the screen, accidentally sliding her contact list up.

Tendou’s name came up.

She chewed on her lip as she walked down the street, flicking her thumb across the screen again to close the contact list, ignoring the small flutter of her heart. She settled for a crepe cafe that was near by that had pictures on their website that looked half decent.

The door chimed as she walked through the door. The place was cozy as she walked in, warm orange and brown tones throughout the walls and furniture, giving it a rustic feel. There was 90’s black and white pictures on most of the walls, displaying different kinds of bands and sport groups. In the background she could hear the soft beat of music drift in the air. 

She smiled at the cashier; it was a guy, probably in his early 20’s. He had blond hair that was swept to the side, peppered cheeks, and his eyes were impossibly green.

‘Naka’ was on his name tag.

“Good morning,” Naka said, a warm smile on his face that caused a dimple to form on his left cheek. “What can I get you?”

She smiled back, her cheeks slightly warm. “Good morning.” She tripled checked the menu and her own thoughts before answering, not wanting to make a fool of herself. “Can I get the peaches and cream and a whipped vanilla coffee, please?”

“Definitely,” he replied, gently bobbing his head to the soft music. “I’ll bring everything to you when it’s ready.”

She slid onto a stool in the front of the restaurant, facing the streets. She rested her head on her hand as she entertained herself with the people that walked by; people in formal wear, other’s in casual street clothes, others in sports clothes as they jogged by. There was a few teens with school uniforms, most likely taking extra classes or making up for some during the break. 

She pulled out her phone, checking her notification and texting her friend about her trip. Her eyes drifted back to the streets and her eyebrows shot up as she watched Kenma and Tetsurou approach the cafe. They were both in casual street clothes, something she wasn’t used to seeing, because they always either had their school’s tracksuit on or some other form of sports wear.

Kenma had a loose yellow pullover sweater on that hung slightly over to one side, a pair of black jeans, and some old red skate shoes. He was on his phone, as usual, his eyes half interested as they glided over the screen. Tetsurou had a black teeshirt on, the sleeves rolled up to reveal the full length of his toned arms, and a pair of ripped blue jeans and some white vans.

Tetsurou was the first to see her sitting by the window, a surprised look flashing over his face momentarily before he smiled and waved at her. She waved back through the window. Kenma looked up, his cat-like eyes meeting her briefly before they returned to his phone.

“Oh ho ho,” Tetsurou said, a sideways smile on his face as he opened the door, setting off the chime. “Guess were not the only early birds, Kenma.”

“Looks that way,” Kenma murmured, his tone flat.

She gave them a small wave. “I definitely thought everyone would be sleeping in today.”

“Not us,” Tetsurou said, sliding into the stool beside her. He grabbed onto Kenma’s shoulder as he sat down, shaking him slightly. “And this guy has the habit of getting up early to play games.”

Kenma’s eyes furrowed, an annoyed look washing over his face between his curtain of hair. “It’s not like anyone can sleep with your snoring anyways.”

 _So maybe it was him?_ She thought, softly laughing as she recalled the loud snoring from earlier. _Can’t be. Nekoma is on the floor below us._

Naka walked up to her, carrying her order on a tray. “Here’s your order.” He placed her things in front of her. “Enjoy.”

“Oh! That looks good,” Tetsurou said, eyeing her plate with hungry eyes. He looked over at the waiter. “Hey, can I get two of what she’s having and a vanilla protein yogurt?”

“Certainly.” The waiter looked at Kenma. “Would you like anything?”

“I’ll get the fried pears with cream crepe and a glass of water,” Kenma said, his eyes briefly meeting the waiter. “Thanks.”

“Perfect,” Naka said, smiling at the two of them as he placed the tray under his arm. “I’ll bring those out for you in a bit.

The three of them talked, sharing their thoughts about the camp, their training, and everyone and everything in between. Eventually Tetsurou and Kenma’s food came, and they continued their conversation while they ate. Tetsurou and her did most of the talking, but Kenma would throw in the occasional intriguing comment that continued to kindle the conversation.

In the beginning she had been tense, her shoulders high and wound up tight with social anxiety. Her tongue had initially been covered in glue, keeping her mouth shut, making it hard for her to have a conversation. But as the time passed, and she grew used to the company, she relaxed, eventually loosening up enough to have a half-decent conversation with the captain of Nekoma and their clever setter. 

She sipped on the last bit of her drink before speaking, “Thank you for the company.” She smiled at them and put her cup down.

Tetsurou smiled at her as he stood up. “No problem.” He paused, his hand on the back of the chair as he looked at her. “Kenma wants to check out a game store a few blocks down. You’re welcome to join us, if you want?”

Kenma’s eyes shifted to Tetsurou. “You forgot about Taketora already.”

“Oh!” Tetsurou laughed, his cheeks turning slightly pink as he rubbed the side of his neck. “Right, right. He wanted to come along with us.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “We should go see if he’s up.”

“Thanks for the invite,” she said, “but I’ll pass. There’s a few places I want to check out myself.”

They settled their bills and said their goodbyes before parting ways. 

She walked through the streets, eventually making it to a small outdoor mall with a few stores that caught her eye. She kept tabs on the time, making sure she could be back before 2:00 PM so she could set things up for Karasuno before their early evening match.

She casually strolled through the outside of the stores, peaking into windows and going in and out of the ones that caught her attention. It wasn’t long before noon came around and she was heading back with a small plastic bag in her hand. She had hoped to shop for some clothes or shoes, literally anything that wasn’t office supply, but there it was— brand new highlighters and fine-tip pens. 

She lifted her bag, looking at it with a sheepish smile. Regardless, she was pleased with her new purchases and was looking forward to redoing all the old paperwork Kiyoko had given her. She would reorganize the notes, categorize them to her liking with easy-to-read handwriting and polish them off with bright highlights. A pleased smiled spread across her face knowing she could put her skills to good use and help other people.

 _Mom might be proud_ , she thought, strolling through the streets.

When she got back to the hotel, she put her things away and changed into new clothes. She checked her phone; Kiyoko had texted her, informing her that she was at the gym setting things up.

* * *

Yachi walked through the halls of the sport centre, making her way around the area she was becoming very familiar with now. She turned the corner, turning in the direction of the gym and stopped when she heard the call of her nickname. 

“Boss!”

Her back tensed as she turned around and spotted Tendou jogging up to her, a friendly and cat-like smile on his face. He was mostly all black today; black shirt, black volleyball shorts, and a black backpack that hung over one of his shoulders. The only thing that wasn’t black were his white socks and volleyball shoes.

“Hi,” she greeted as he pulled up beside her, slowing his steps down to match her speed.

He lifted a finger as he spoke, “We’re playing Karasuno again so I’ll walk with ya.” He looked down at her, a playful and smug look on his face. “I can get my revenge on Mr. Vanilla.”

 _There goes my relaxing day,_ she somewhat bitterly thought. Her shoulders stiffened and her palms became sweaty as she gave him a sheepish smile. “That’s good,” she said, but the small drop in her tone said otherwise. She swallowed, hoping he didn’t catch on. 

But to her great horror, nothing got passed his sharp eyes.

Tendou raised an eyebrow at her. “You always get extra tense when we play against you guys,” he pointed out casually. “It shows on your face clear as day, you know?” She turned her face away, her cheeks hot. He tilted his head up as he spoke, “We’re that intense, huh?”

She squeezed her bottle as she looked up at him. “Shiratorizawa. . . is growing on me.”

Tendou chuckled and gave her a sheepish smile. He raised his arms and placed them behind his head, a small frown pulling down the corner of his lips. “We feel the tension, too.” His face flashed with annoyance, his eyebrow twitching slightly as he stared ahead. “The old man has a vendetta against Karasuno and for some reason that #10 really gets under his skin.” He lowered his arms and rubbed his chin, silence stretching between them for a second. 

She thought this over, surprised by the revelation Tendou shared with her. She met his eyes and a warm wave of red washed over her. His eyebrows rose, a surprise look washing over his face as he walked in front of her and signalled her to stop. “You didn’t hear it from me though!”

 _‘It’s our secret,’_ she wanted to throw at him, but thought better of it. Too many secrets weren’t good for the soul and it’s something her mother had always drilled into her.

“Don’t worry,” she said, reassuring him with a small smile. “I’m just surprised, is all.” She chewed on her lip, questions forming in her head but none were going to get passed her lips.

He squinted his eyes at her, an impish look on his face as he tilted his head back slightly. “Mmmk.”

They continued walking in silence for a bit, their footsteps echoing in the hallways. Her heart had a steady rhythm under her ribs, slightly faster than she would like but at least she didn’t feel like she was going into cardiac arrest. It was getting easier, being around this intimidating and unpredictable persona walking next to her.

“I gotta say,” Tendou said, stopping the silence, “Mr. Vanilla has grown on me.” Her eyes blew open. He stared down at her from the corner of his eye, his arms behind his head as he quirked an eyebrow at her. “What?”

A large smile spread across her face. “That’s— Well, that’s good! I’m glad.”

He snorted a laugh, a smirk spreading across his face as he shifted his gaze to stare ahead. “Don’t get me wrong, Boss, ‘cause it’s still way more fun to break their little hearts.” An excited look washed over his face as he lowered his arm so he could fist his hands in front of him, a soft blush on his cheeks. “Stuffing a quick attack from that #10 and Oikawa’s disciple. . .” a shiver of pleasure spread throughout his body, his red eyes glowing with delight. “Oh, there’s nothing like it!” His eyes met hers, a wide closed-lip smile spread across his face until his eyes were thin slits. “You guys are so fun to play against.”

A shiver of she-doesn’t-know-what spread throughout her body as she laughed nervously. There was warmth in her chest knowing that Tendou was starting to see Tsukishima for more than just an opponent, but it was struggling to outshine the small bubble of unease she was feeling. The fact that he liked to ‘break their little hearts’ was slightly disturbing.

“I’m glad you think so,” she said, rubbing her neck. She felt warm. Skittish. 

They walked into the gym and Tendou parted ways as he jogged towards his team, waving at them with both hands. She walked up to Karasuno, everyone’s eyes on her as they watched her walk across the gym towards them.

Tanaka’s eyebrows pinched, his eyes sharp as he looked at her. “The weird guy wasn’t bugging you, was he, Yachi?” One corner of his lip went up while he frowned, his eye twitching. “I can tell him off.” Nishinoya nodded beside him, his arms crossed.

She blushed, her hands coming up as she waved them around in denial. “No, no.” She sat down on the floor with them, everyone’s eyes peering at her as if they were expecting her to tell them a grand story or some juicy gossip.

And for some reason, it rubbed her the wrong way. Agitated her.

She cleared her throat. “Actually, he was telling me how much he likes playing against you guys.”

Everyone’s eyebrows shut up, their eyes wide and their mouths slightly open as they stared at her with stumped looks on their faces.

Tsukishima was the only one who seemed unsurprised, his face disappointed as he looked at everyone with contempt. “Why are you all so shocked? He‘s said on more than a few occasions that he finds us amusing.”

 _When you put it like that, Tsukishima. . ._ She scratched the side of her head, chuckling sheepishly.

“Now that you mention it,” Nishinoya said, grabbing onto his chin with one hand, his face deep in thought. He nodded to himself once. “Yeah.” He looked at Tsukishima, a comical smile spreading across his face. “But all I heard was ‘Mr. Vanilla,’” he teased, snickering like a kid.

* * *

There was less tension in the air today, something she didn’t take for granted as the match went on. Maybe she was finally learning to relax as manager-to-be, and falling into the role. Or maybe she was still riding the good-vibe of her day. Or maybe, just maybe, Tendou’s words had relaxed her. Whatever it was though— she grateful for it.

There was still a heavy rivalry, nonetheless, both sides still full of glares and the occasional side comment that left a bit a salt in the air. And most of those comments were by no other than Shiratorizawa’s Miracle Boy and Guess Blocker; Satori Tendou. But at this point, no one seemed to care and just let most of the things Tendou said slide, as if they had all mutually accepted that that was just who he was. 

But Hinata took everyone by surprise with his comment.

“You’re blocks are too good, Tendou!” He expressed loudly, after getting his spike shut down and stuffed for 20th time. He groaned, his hands resting on his knees with exhaustion as he sported a tired smile up at Tendou. 

Tendou blinked at him with owlish eyes through the net, clearly surprised by the unexpected comment. Then a smug smile spread across his face, one hand on his hip as he looked down at Hinata. “Ya think so, Shorty?”

Hinata nodded, his eyes wide as if he were waiting for something to be thrown at him— a tip or some wise words, maybe a secret as to what made Tendou so good at reading his opponents and blocking them.

Tendou caught on and tapped his nose. “It’s all about where it smells good.”

Hinata’s face morphed with confusion, one of his eyebrows going up. “Where it— _what?_ ”

“He’s referring to your ‘intuition,’” Tsukishima interjected, cleaning his glasses before sliding them back onto his face.

Tendou snapped both his hands into guns and pointed them at Tsukishima, giving him a clever smile. “Bingo!” Then he shrugged his shoulders, his eyes meeting Hinata’s once again. Tendou lowered his hands, resting his long fingers on his hips. “Helps to look at footwork though.”

Hinata nodded, his eyebrows furrowed as he absorbed the information. “Smell. Intuition. Footwork. Got it—”

“Are you going to talk like little girls all day?!” Coach’s Washijou’s voice carried loudly across the court, making everyone flinch before they all stared at each other, dumbfounded. His eyes snapped to Tendou, his eyebrows low and his arms crossed as he looked at Tendou with a warning glare. “Tendou.”

“Ai, ai.” Tendou’s eyebrow twitched, a peeved look on his face as he stared at no one in particular. Then he exhaled, his face relaxing into his usual unimpressed face before turning around to face his coach. “Sorry, coach.” He waved, slightly bowing an apology.

* * *

**Score:** Shiratorizawa vs Karasuno; 1:2 / 25-22, 24-26, 24-26 & 1:2 / 25-23, 26-28, 27-29

Today, Karasuno had won both full games. All the boys sported large smiles and proud shoulders as they strutted out of the gym like peacocks, smug looks on their faces as they walked by Shiratorizawa on their way out.

Once Karasuno had left, it was just her and the Shiratorizawa team in the gym. And sense Kiyoko had set everything up alone, Yachi offered to close everything up alone, which Kiyoko reluctantly accepted but Yachi insisted relentlessly until Kiyoko gave in. “ _It’s only fair,”_ Yachi had argued. 

She was lingering by the door as a heavy cloud filled the gym and silence stretched on for an uncomfortable amount of time. She swallowed, nervous and knowing they most likely all wanted privacy so she walked outside to fill up her bottle of water to busy herself while the coach gave his speech. 

The air was presently fresh outside, the sun starting to set, washing the horizon over with a soft orange and pink glow. She took her time filling her bottle up, washing her hands for extra few seconds as she looked at the setting sun. Then she closed the tap, watching the last few drops fall before walking back towards the gym door. As she got closer and closer, the louder coach Washijou’s voice got, until she was right next to the door and she could hear him clearly.

She paled as her stomach fell to her feet. 

“What’s the point of your height and strength if you don’t have any brains?” Coach Washijou snapped, his tone full of spit and mockery. Her eyes double in size as her hand flew to her mouth, smothering her surprised gasp. “20 laps around the field and when you get back, you’ll practice serves until your arms fall off.”

Panicking, she sped-walked back to the fountains with tight shoulders. She hid behind the other side of the fountains, squatting down to the ground so the boys wouldn’t see her as they walked out. 

_Yikes_ , she thought, chewing on her bottom lip. _I guess that’s why they don’t have a manager._

When she thought the coast was clear, the last pair of feet running off into the distance, she stood up and walked back towards the doors. She swallowed, a ball of pity forming in her stomach. _Coach Ukai would never. . ._

“—There is no point in sharing wisdom with someone who can’t use it,” she heard coach Washijou dictate, his voice sharp, borderline a sneer. She paused by the door again, feet frozen to the ground. 

“I apologize, coach,” she heard Tendou’s voice. It sounded so dull and empty; a stark contrast to his usual lively and quirky voice, and it settled like a small needle in her heart. She laid her hand across her chest in an attempt to coax the discomfort.

”Now go.”

”Yes, coach.” 

Yachi stomach did a flip as she once again walked back to the fountains and used them to hide. She gripped onto the edge of the sink as she squatted onto her heels, a sad and slightly angry look in her eyes as she glared at the ground below her. _No wonder there’s so much tension when they play against Karasuno. . ._ A small ball of lead heated up in her chest as she recalled the coach’s words: _“There is no point in sharing wisdom with someone who can’t use it.”_

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her grip tightening on the sink as a wave of indignation washed over her. She knew the coach had referred to Hinata. Who else would he be talking about? She closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against the sink as she tried to control the bubble of anger in her chest.

The sound of shoes against gravel filled the air as Tendou exited the gym. But his feet didn’t go in the direction his teammates had gone. No, his footsteps were getting closer. Louder. 

She shrunk into herself as she lowered her body even more into the ground, wishing she could dig a hole right into it and hide. 

She heard the sink on the other side of the fountain turn on, the sound of running water filling up the silence of the evening air.

And the water ran, and ran, and kept going until she felt awkward hiding. At this point, it was going to be far worse if Tendou found her hiding. And what would she do if more players started coming up to the fountains? What then? It would announce to Tendou that she had been there the whole time. She swallowed, horrified at the thought. 

A wave of nausea hit her as she slowly straightened out her legs. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she took one soft step to the side and peaked over to the other side. 

Tendou had his head under the water, his hair completely soaked and flat against his scalp. He was resting his forearms on the edge of the sink, his hands coiled into tight fist that made his knuckles white and his arms flex. It was obvious he was upset, angry, and it slid down her back like an icy finger. 

He pulled his head out from under the water and pushed his hair back with his both hands. Water trailed down from his head, down his cheeks, jawline, neck, and wetting his black shirt. She swallowed, dreading the moment he would opened his eyes and see her. 

She bit down on her tongue as his eyes fluttered open. 

Tendou’s eyes were like a stormy red sea, full of anger and spite, and it pulled her in and under like a tidal wave, leaving her breathless with fear. 

And within a split second, his face cracked and his eyes softened, his eyebrows knitting together as he looked down at her with a mixture of worry and surprise. “Boss?” he muttered, confused.

She struggled to swallow the lump in her throat. “H-hi.” She didn’t know what else to say so she stiffly stood there, wishing she could be anywhere else. Anywhere.

Tendou’s lungs deflated as he closed his eyes and carded a hand through his hair.

She looked down at her bottle with tight lips, hating the awkward air between them.

Tendou took a step towards her and she looked up at him, meeting his red eyes once more, except this time there was no anger in them. He crossed his arms and his eyes shifted over to the gym door before meeting hers again. She swallowed as he scrutinized her with sharp eyes, peeling away at her attempt to hide what she had overheard in the gym. 

He knew, that she knew. That much was clear.

He frowned, a slight irritated look washing over his face.

Her cheeks turned red as she scratched the tip her nose, her eyes meeting his. “You should go before he notices,” she quietly advised, wanting to avoid him any more trouble. 

He said nothing for a second, just stared down at her with crossed arms and a pensive look on his face until she grew uneasy. Then he leaned down towards her and quirked an eyebrow at her. 

“Let’s get ice cream later.”

She blinked at him, caught off guard by his demand. 

“Ok?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“I— Um.” She blushed, her eyes darting to the side. _How did I end up in this situation again?_ “If that—” She sighed, annoyed with herself. _Words, Yachi. Use your words._ “Ok.”

* * *

**Author’s Note:** Thank you so much for those who leave comments. _judieann0513, AshyashFawn, Tonobread, Alo, Sapphire_riceball,_ AshyashFawn, and Anna. You guys are great and motivate me. ^.^ Also, thank you for the new Kudos/Follows. 

Also, I have a special treat for the next chapter. I hope everyone likes it ^.^


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

_**Chai Tea Panic Attack** _

* * *

Yachi rubbed the towel against her head, her mind deep in thought as she stared at the tile floor in front of her. There was a nervous knot in her stomach. The day had ended, but somehow her nerves hadn’t really calmed down. There was a certain buzzing under her skin, giving her goosebumps every now and then, and as much as she wanted to pretend she didn’t know what it was it— she knew. And she could blame it all on a tall volleyball player with deep red eyes and sly smiles.

She chewed the corner of her bottom lip, worried, the knot tightening. 

A shaky exhale left her lips as she stood from her stool and changed into her pyjama’s, her eyes distant. She looked down at herself. Something felt off. 

_Seriously?_ She mentally berated herself, realizing she had put her pyjama pants on backwards and inside out. She looked at herself in the mirror, a worried look on her face as she fixed her pants. _Am I. . . Am I really going to pull through with this?_

She walked back to her room, her hand on her stomach as she tried to knead the knot away. 

“Welcome back,” Kiyoko greeted as she walked into the room. 

“Hey,” she replied, her voice low as she put her things away and slipped into bed.

Kiyoko took her glasses off and put them beside her bed, next to her phone. She glanced over at Yachi as she slid into her bed. “You ok?” She asked, turning over to face Yachi. “You look a little off.”

Yachi shook her head. “I—” She chewed on her lip, sorting her whirlpool of thoughts as she looked at the ceiling. “Earlier,” she said, a large sigh escaping her lungs, “earlier, when I was closing the gym I overheard the Shiratorizawa coach talk to his students. After everyone from Karasuno left and everything. . .” Yachi turned over, facing Kiyoko with large eyes and furrowed eyebrows. “He’s—

“I know,” Kiyoko interrupted, turning onto her back. “He’s always been like that.”

Yachi’s stomach churned, unhappy with Kiyoko’s answer. It wasn’t that she was expecting something good, or a ‘yeah, he sometimes get’s like that,’ but she also wasn’t expecting a ‘he’s always been like that’ either. She gripped onto her bed cover, fisting the material with her small hands. This was something she hadn’t seen coming when she signed up for this manager role.

“Shiratorizawa has been a top volleyball team for years, going to Nationals not just once but multiple times over the decades,” Kiyoko said, her voice low and steady, but her words somehow felt heavy and powerful. Yachi twisted her head to the side to look at Kiyoko. There was a sad look in Kiyoko’s eyes. “As amazing as the school is — with all its strong sports teams, great scholarships, and powerful reputation — it has it’s weaknesses and flaws.” Kiyoko turned over again, placing her hands under her head as she stared at Yachi. “As much as I want Karasuno to win during practices, I also can’t help but feel sympathetic towards Shiratorizawa when they lose. Because I know that whatever happens once the matches are over, are things that would never happen at Karasuno.” She paused, a brief silence stretching between them, filled by the sound of cars driving by in the distance. “Were lucky to have someone like coach Ukai.”

Yachi nodded, turning her head up again to stare up at the ceiling. “Yeah. . .”

* * *

Yachi was on her side, her face illuminated by the light of her phone as she looked at Tendou’s name on her contact list. She had done this a few times now; she would look at his name, open up the chat, close it, surf the web, watch a video, come back to the chat and then repeat the process all over again.

She couldn’t explain the nervous bubbles that kept surfacing in her chest, popping under her heart and making it skip. Well, she knew _who_ was making her nervous but she didn’t know _why_. She wasn’t sure if she was looking forward to spending time with Tendou, or if she was just hanging out with him out of pity, or because he had threatened to tell coach Ukai about her midnight excursions. Or was she just nervous for the sake of being nervous?

She let out a quiet and frustrated groan as she rolled onto her back, feeling vexed and distraught with her situation. 

_How late is too late?_ She thought, turning her phone back on to check the time. _Maybe he’s gone to bed already?_ She ran her hands down her face, frustrated. _Just pop him a message. It’ll be so much worse if you don’t. It’s not like you can lie and pretend you fell asleep. You’re a terrible liar. He’ll see right through that._

She huffed and pulled up Tendou’s name again. Once she messaged him, he would receive it, and he would get her contact info. What then? Did that mean they would text daily? Would she feel obligated to check his messages and reply? 

_Stop thinking, Yachi!_ _Just message him already._ She grabbed her phone, and typed a quick ‘Hey, it’s Yachi. Are you still up?’ _Formal. Be formal._ She threw her phone face down on the bed.

Her trembling hands flew to her heart as she held her breath.

Even if he was asleep, there was no way she was staying in her bed. She felt too wired, as if a steady pulse of electricity was coursing throughout her body.

Her phone buzzed and she fumbled to grab it, dropping it once before looking at her messages.

‘Sure am, Boss.’

There was a pause, three little dots on the screen as he continued to type. She swallowed.

‘Come downstairs. I’m in front of the hotel.’

She had to retype her reply three times before she got it right, the trembling of her hands making her fingers useless. ‘Ok. Be there soon.’

Maybe it was the adrenaline in her blood or the jitters in her hands that got in the way, but as she sat up to get out of bed, her phone fell with loud thud on the wooden floor. 

Her heart shrivelled up, her eyes snapping to Kiyoko in the dimly lit room.

Kiyoko rolled over, her eyes fluttering open. She looked up at Yachi, her eyes squinting at her curiously. “Where are you going?”

Yachi swallowed. “Bathroom.” She kept her answer short. Quick. The less she said, the better.

“Are you ok?” Kiyoko asked, pushing herself up onto her elbows. She rubbed her eyes with one hand.

Yachi nodded, her heart drumming in her chest. “I’m fine.” She stood from the bed and walked over to her shoes and sweater. “I just have to pee.”

Yachi looked over her shoulder, meeting Kiyoko’s eyes. Yachi hoped that with the darkness of the room and lack of Kiyoko’s glasses, Kiyoko wouldn’t see the redness on her anxious face.

“Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Yup!” She laughed nervously. “I just drank too much water throughout the day.” 

Kiyoko scrutinized her for a moment before lowering herself back onto her back. “Mmmk.” She pulled her blankets up, settling back into her bed. “Be careful.”

Yachi tittered as she scratched the back of her head. “I will, don’t worry.”

Kiyoko closed her eyes as Yachi walked out.

Yachi‘s stomach was a ball of nerves and worms as she sped walked through the hallways, making her way down the stairs at record speed. 

But as she approached the lobby, her steps slowed down, until she stopped all together in the centre of the lobby. He heart was hammering in her chest, pounding so strong she could feel her heartbeat in her hands. The receptionist looked at her, a curious look on his face, and before he could ask questions, she exited the building. 

The night air was cool against her skin and she welcomed it, happily letting it cool down her heated skin. She inhaled, her hand on her chest as she reeled in her nerves. Her footsteps were quiet as she looked around for Tendou, her head spinning around as her eyes searched for his tall and languid form.

A small, ugly knot formed in her stomach at the thought that maybe he had left.

But then she spotted a set of red hair by the edge of the street. Her eyes were large and lively as she peered at Tendou sitting on metal railing, his lanky form slightly hunched, illuminated by the city lights. She took a selfish second to herself to look at him before announcing her presence.

Something soured in her stomach at the sight of his eyes. He was staring into the distance, his eyes somber and bleak. This was a side she hadn’t seen before, and it was a sharp contrast from his usual carefree persona, and an even sharper contrast to the anger she had witnessed in his eyes after he had gotten scowled by his coach. And right now — even though his malicious eyes had turned her blood to ice —she would choose those eyes over the ones he had now. 

She swallowed, nervous yet eager to shoo whatever storm cloud was in his mind. She took a few steps closer to him, making them slightly louder so he could hear her approach. His shoulders tensed slightly before he spun around, meeting her with curious eyes, one eyebrow going up.

She raised her hand shyly, her cheeks warm as she met his eyes. A smile crawled onto his face, his hand coming up as he made a playful face at her.

And just like that, whatever cloud that had been floating around him, vanished in the night sky.

A heated blush spread across her cheeks as she fought the stupid smile that threatened to spread across her face.

“Hi,” she said, pushing her hair behind her ear so she could alleviate the heat on her neck.

Tendou pushed himself off the railing and walked over to her, a cat-like smile on his face that she was now very familiar with. “Ready?” he asked, shoving his hands into the pocket of his hoodie.

She nodded. “Mhm.”

She counted seven of her steps before he spoke, something she was silently grateful for because she couldn’t remember how to use her tongue.

Tendou told her about how Ushijima had woken everyone up by purposely being loud, guilting everyone into going for a run even though it was their day off. He talked about how he had found a piece of eggshell in his scrambled eggs today but extra protein never hurt anyone. Apparently he had also gone down to the shopping centre she had been at, looking for new runners but they unfortunately didn’t have his size, because as it turns out being over 5’10’’ wasn’t a common thing in Japan, let alone being over 6” so shoes that were bigger than size 11 were a rarity.

A part of her had forgotten about his height, having spent so much time around such tall people had eventually blinded her to the averagely sized person. 

“Do you shop online then?” she asked, curious. “That’s what I do. I have the same problem, except I’m on the other side of the spectrum because I’m so short.”

He nodded. “Or I go to Tokyo once in a while.”

They walked into the convenience store, the familiar chime of the bell set off as Tendou pushed the door open.They casually strolled through the store as they trailed down the aisles, occasionally plucking something that caught their eye. Slowly they made it to the ice cream freezer, both of them looking down into it with too much concentration on their faces.

“What’s it gonna be?” Tendou asked, looking at her from across the freezer with one raised eyebrow. It almost felt like a test, like he was waiting for her to pick one so he could tell her to pick another.

She hummed, her mouth moving to one side as she slid the freezer door open. “You pick.”

Tendou’s eyebrows went up. “That’s a lot pressure, you know? Ice cream isn’t something to fool around with so casually.”

She shrugged, a sideways smile on her lips. “No pressure then.”

He laughed, shaking his head with a smile on his face. “No pressure.”

For himself, he settled with his usual two chocolate fudge bars. He crossed his arms as he scanned the ice cream, his face deep in thought and Yachi had to fight the urge to giggle. He was taking this far too seriously. 

“O-K.” He reached in, pulling out a little baby blue ice cream bag. He handed it to her and she took a closer look at it. _Chai-Tea Vanilla Mochis?_

She nodded, settling for his choice, more intrigued about trying it than she let on. 

They payed for their items and sat on the stools by the window of the store, facing the streets. From here she could see the street where the crepe cafe was.

“There this place down that street that has good crepes,” she said, using the table for leverage as she heaved her bum onto the high stool. “If you like crepes, that is.”

Tendou slid onto the stool next her as he looked out the window. He pointed at the street with a lax hand. “That street?”

She nodded, opening her ice cream. She bit into the soft mochi, the centre a soft vanilla chai that complimented the sweet dough with delight. Her cheeks blushed, pleased as she looked up at Tendou with her hand over her mouth.

He had his head prompted up onto his elbow as he looked at her with a smug smile on his face that pinched his eyes. “Was my intuition correct?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “This is delicious.”

Tendou beamed. “Vic-to-ry!”

A comfortable silence fell over them as they ate their ice cream and treats, watching the cars that drove for entertainment.

As much as she enjoyed their little bubble of peace, there was a thorn threatening to pop it and ruin the moment. She kept glancing at him, the questions getting lodged in her throat every single time. Then she would turn away, the thorn sharper than before.

This time, when she glanced at him, his red and unimpressed eyes were waiting for her. He looked into her eyes as he casually ate his ice cream. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, they were focus on the window, and she wondered if he was looking out at the street or if he was looking at his reflection.

“It’s not that bad,” he said, finally popping the bubble. “He was just in a bad mood.”

She wanted to argue but found she didn’t have the right to do so because she didn’t really know Tendou that well, so who was she to argue with him about the coach he’s had for the past two years? So she nodded, swallowing her pride and her questions. Her face flushed as she looked at her hands, her mind and emotions overflowing in her small body.

Tendou snorted a laugh, pulling the ice cream out of his mouth as he looked at her with a sheepish smile. “You’re making that scary face again.”She tensed as she turned her face away.“You’re so easy to read, Boss,” he jived, but there was no ill-will behind his tone. Just a harmless fact. Something she was already highly aware of.

She had never been a good liar, something that she couldn’t bring herself to do from the day she had gotten consciousness that she could lie. This was one of her many flaws, along with her workaholic tendencies, perfectionism, fear of voicing her opinion, fear of upsetting others, her judgemental tendencies, and it all got topped of with a heaping side of crippling anxiety.

Her mother’s voice rung in her ear. _“Lying feeds the weak of mind and the shameless,”_ she would say, _“so honesty can be fed to the brave and proud.”_ Yachi bit down on her tongue. _“So which one are you, Yachi?”_

“Sorry,” she said, unsure if there was anything else she could say. “I don’t mean to pry. It’s none of my business.” She bit her lip, a melancholy drip going down her back as she recalled the unfortunate event. “I was just— I was just surprised.” She rubbed her clammy hands against her knees, regretting bringing up the subject at all, even if she had been indirect about it.

Tendou exhaled as he rested his chin on his hand. “The old man is old fashioned but he was also the first to let me join a volleyball team.”

She looked at him with a confused look on her face.

He scoffed a laugh, an embarrassed smile on his face as he scratched the tip of his nose, his eyes going up as his cheeks turned pink. “I used to be a bit of an ass before highschool, which made it hard to get into any clubs moving forward.”

This, to some extent, wasn’t much of a surprise. It wasn’t hard to believe considering how he had slick tongue that liked to tease and poke at people, although harmless most of the times, there was always genuine joy in his eyes when he was able to get under his opponent’s skin.

He sighed, a bothersome and gloomy look washing over his face as he crossed his arms on top of the table so he could rest his chin over them. “My style of blocking isn’t popular either,” he continued, his eyes glancing at her briefly. “I’m sure you now know the difference between guess blocking and read blocking?”

She nodded.

“With those two things combined, it was hard to find a school that was going to let my background slide and also accept my play style.” A small smile spread across his face. “But coach Washijou didn’t care about any of that. He saw my height, let me participate in a practice match, had an interview, and voilà— you get the Shiratorizawa Guess Monster.” His smile died at the end, a detached look settling over his face that didn’t quite match the scornful look in his eyes. “Or the Red Demon.”

She let his story sink in, taking it one chapter at a time as she looked at him in a new light. There was so much to be said and asked, and she didn’t know where to start but worse, she didn’t know where to _end_ , because she had infinite questions and she could bombard him all night with them.

His eyes glided up at her and she realized she had taken too long to respond, because a frown formed on his lips. “You’re not gonna run off on me now, are you?”

She shook her head, slightly offended by his assumption. “I just have a lot to say,” she justified, leaning towards him. “But I don’t know where to start.” She leaned away, her eyes shifting to the side. “I also don’t want to seem nosy or rude.”

He chuckled at her remark, a smile on his face as he sat up, stretching his arms in front of him like a cat. “You’ll have to try really _really_ hard to get under my skin.” His eyes glided over to her as he finished his stretch, one of his eyebrows going up. “You’re welcome to try though.”

By the look in his eyes, she thought better of it. She gave him a nervous grin. “I rather not.”

He snorted. “So easily intimated.” He crossed his arms, shaking his head side to side as he clicked his tongue. “That wont do, Boss.”

Her phone vibrated, interrupting them. She pulled it out.

The edges of her vision blurred as she read over Kiyoko’s text: ‘It’s almost 1 AM, where are you?’ A wave of nausea hit her like a brick, all her sugary treats churning in her stomach and threatening to come back up. _How— I can’t believe I forgot about the time!_

“Wow, wow,” Tendou called out to her, his voice concerned, but he sounded so far away, drowned out by the blood pounding in her ears. “You ok?”

She swallowed, her heart hammering in her chest. _If Kiyoko finds out I’ve been sneaking out_. . .Yachi covered her face with her hands as she shook her head with dread. _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!_

“Hey, hey,” Tendou cooed. “Just breathe. You’re forgetting to breathe.”

She ripped her hands away from her face, her eyes wide and glazed with unshed tears as she met his red eyes that mirror her own big ones. “W-we need to go!”

Tendou nodded at her, concern on his face as he slid off his stool. “Yup. Ok. Leaving. We’re leaving. We. Are. Leaving.”

They exited the store and she could barely run, her anxiety making it impossible for her to breathe. Her chest was burning, her throat tight as she heaved and puffed, fighting to take a proper breath in. She folded over, supporting herself on her knees as she fought the urge to have a full blown panic attack in front of Tendou.

“I’m going to—Kiyoko knows—I—“ a small cry left her lips, her words a jumble mess by her quivering lips. She covered her face with her arms as she stood up, hiding her eyes. She tilted her head back, denying the tears to spill over her cheeks. “I’m going to lose my position a-as manager!”

“No you’re not,” Tendou reassured her. “Just tell her you were in the bathroom.”

She miserably laughed. “I did, Tendou.” She wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her hoodie. “Almost _two_ hours ago.”

“It’s going to be fine,” he said, his voice overly confident.

She shook her head, her shoulders tensing as she continued walking. “I really doubt that.”

“Trust me.” His voice was far too confident and it actually rubbed her the wrong way. How could he know that? “Hey. Stop for a second.” She felt a large and heavy hand on her shoulder, stopping her. He released her shoulder and walked around her, squatting in front of her so she was looking down at him. He quirked a singular eyebrow at her, his lips fighting a smile. “You’re not as cute when you cry, Boss.”

Heated blood rushed to her face and she sharply turned her face away to look at the cement wall of the building next to her. The last thing she wanted right now was his teasing.

He sighed and she looked at him from the corner of her eye, her head slightly tilted away from him so she could hide most of her shame. “Your manager isn’t going to say shit,” he told her. “Actually, she probably won’t even care as long as you’re honest with her.”

She turned her head, meeting his eyes, searching the sea of red so she could find where all this confidence was coming from. As if reading her mind, he shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t guarantee a 100% free-of-charge type of thing, but I just have a hunch she won’t really care.”

“A hunch?” She looked up at him with disbelief at his words. _A hunch. A frigging hunch!_

He chuckled at her reaction as he lifted an index finger, waving it around before tapping the side of his temple. “I trust my intuition above anything.” 

She blinked at him with large eyes, struck dumb with his comment, before her eyes drifted up and blankly stared over his head. 

_I’m so screwed._

* * *

**Author’s Note:** Here is the link to the images if you guys want to see them: Tendou 1: <https://www.zerochan.net/2631339> Tendou 2: <https://www.zerochan.net/2631340> and Tendou 3: <https://www.zerochan.net/2631343> Also, I’m putting a link to the Artist’s profile where they post all their information and what social media they use. I recommend their TikTok and Twitter ^.^ <https://twpf.jp/terimilkJJ>


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

_**Broken Walls** _

* * *

Yachi stared at the door to her room from a few feet down the hallway, her eyes wide with fear as if she were staring at the doors of Hell. Kiyoko was on the other side of the door, awake, pacing, waiting, ready to rip Yachi's head off as soon as she walked in.

“Just go,” Tendou whispered, giving her a small smile. “The more you wait, the worse it’ll be.”

She nodded but her feet wouldn’t budge.

“Just give me a second,” she said, looking down at her feet as she coaxed her aching heart. She was sure this whole experience was shedding 20 years off her lifespan.

Tendou crossed his arms over his chest, one of his eyebrows going up as he looked down at her. “She's probably more worried than mad, you know?”

Yachi ignored his question, highly doubting his assumption. 

After what felt like an eternity later but had actually only been three minutes, she took her first step forward, closing the distance between her and the door. She gulped, an ugly baseball-sized ball stuck in her throat. She put one foot in front of the other until she was right in front of the door. She could hear Kiyoko pacing on the other side of the door, her feet softly thumping around the room.

She looked back at Tendou who gave her two thumbs.

With a shaking hand, she grabbed onto the door handle and slowly turned it. She heard footsteps approach the other side of the door and before Yachi could fully open the door, Kiyoko had yanked it open.

Yachi’s brown eyes met Kiyoko's blue ones, both their eyes wide as they stared at each other with shocked faces.

“H—” Yachi stuttered, but the words fell short as Kiyoko flung her arms around her neck, pulling her into a tight hug.

“I was so worried,” Kiyoko gasped, her voice a mixture of relief and anger. She unwrapped her arms from Yachi and held her by the shoulders at arms length.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you,” Yachi blurted, trying to keep her voice low in the hallway so she wouldn’t disturb the other rooms.

“Where were you?”

Yachi turned her head to look over at Tendou, but he had vanished into the walls. She turned her head back to Kiyoko. “I— Well.” She cleared her throat, her mouth dry. “I was— I was at the store down the street.”

Kiyoko’s eyes doubled in size, her eyebrows going up into her hairline. She grabbed Yachi by her hand and pulled her into the room, closing the door behind her with a soft and controlled click.

“Are you crazy?” Kiyoko whispered, borderline hissed as she spun around to face Yachi. “You shouldn't go somewhere in the middle of the night— _alone._ "

Yachi didn’t know what compelled her to say the next sentence; maybe it was the anger in Kiyoko's eyes or the fact that she hated keeping secrets. “I wasn’t alone,” she quickly mumbled, a blush coloring her cheeks as she spilled the cat out of the bag.

Kiyoko blinked at her a few times before her eyebrows furrowed together, confusion washing over her face.

Yachi’s embarrassment overwhelmed her and she tore her eyes away from Kiyoko, settling them on the spot between their feet. Kiyoko had her runners on. 

_Was she going to go look for me?_ Guilt settled in Yachi’s stomach, ugly and vicious, flopping around like a fish out of water.

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” Kiyoko murmured. She sounded hurt, confused, and it added to the sickening feeling in Yachi’s stomach.

“I’m so sorry,” Yachi apologized, her eyes growing warm. “I was so scared of—” She swallowed. "I just didn't want lose my job."

Kiyoko looked like she had gotten slapped across the face. “You thought I would _fire_ you?”

Clearly, Yachi had been wrong the entire time so nodding her head now would only insult Kiyoko further, so she just stood there, a dumb and guilty look on her face.

Kiyoko leaned against the wall, her hands behind her lower back as she shook her head in disbelief. “I wouldn’t fire you because you’re going to the store.”

There was a pause, a moment of silence that stretched between the girls and the longer it got, the worse Yachi felt. Why did she sneak out? It was a mistake, a mistake that caused her stressful encounters, unnecessary secrets and waves of guilt. _Mom would be so mad right now,_ she thought, biting her lip with stress. 

Kiyoko sighed. “You put too much pressure on yourself, Yachi.”

Yachi hands balled in to fist as she internally fought the awful feeling in her chest.

Kiyoko placed a hand on Yachi’s shoulder. “I’m just glad you're ok.”

Yachi nodded, her tongue stitched to the roof of her mouth. She wanted to cry with sadness, anger, and relief all the once, but she fought against all the tears that were threatening to slip out. She had already cried in front of one person tonight. There was no way she was going to cry in front of Kiyoko, too.

Yachi swallowed, forcibly peeling her tongue off of the roof in her mouth before speaking. "I‘m not. . . in trouble?"

“No.” Kiyoko shook her head as she pushed her glasses up her nose. "But I'm hurt and angry." She crossed her arms. "Why not just tell me from the beginning and avoid all of this?"

Yachi exhaled, her shoulders dropping in defeat. “I was just scared.”

Kiyoko huffed a small laugh. “You’re making me sound like an evil villain.”

“Sorry!” Yachi exclaimed, fumbling her hands around. “I was just scared of disappointing you.”

Kiyoko shook her head. “And losing a great manager?” Kiyoko’s eyes sharpened. “And friend?”

There was a pause and Yachi blushed. _Friend?_ But before she could fully process the word, Kiyoko interrupted with a heated question, "Are you. . . are you seeing one of boys?”

Yachi chocked, her throat tightening as she coughed into her hands, startled by the question. Once she had collected herself enough, she wheezed, “N-no!” She shook her head quickly as she tore her eyes away from Kiyoko, far too embarrassed to meet her gaze. “Nothing—“ Her nose wrinkled as a shiver went down her spine. “Nothing like _that_.”

Kiyoko nodded, her eyes shifting between the floor and Yachi. “So who was with you?”

Yachi’s stomach knotted. “It’s—” She was appalled by the heat that was creeping into her cheeks. _Why am I hesitating?_

Kiyoko’s eyes squinted at her as she scrutinized Yachi's face, reading her body language, looking for any signal that would give her away. Yachi watched as the wheel in Kiyoko's mind spun around in her eyes, recalling Yachi's interactions throughout the week. Kiyoko's eyes blew open, her mouth slightly open. “It’s. . . it’s Tendou.”

Yachi tensed, her back pin straight as she waved her hands around sporadically. “It’s not—Well, it _is_. But it’s not—” She covered her face, feeling too exposed. “We’re just friends! Not even!”

Kiyoko exploded into a fit of laughter.

* * *

The girls had chatted about things and slipped back into their own beds, getting cozy under their white comforters. The air was clear now and Yachi felt like an elephant had been pushed off her chest and she could finally breathe. Except for the fact that Kiyoko kept giggling every once in a while, making Yachi blush furiously all over again. She had insisted Kiyoko that there was nothing going on between Tendou and her. Absolutely nothing. Nothing. She had even told her how she had ended up being blackmailed by Tendou in the beginning and how he had scared the living wits out of her on multiple occasions.

Really, Tendou and her were barely friends at all; they were more like acquaintances at this point, if anything. And the day Tendou and her became anything more than just friends, would be the day Hell froze over. Not in a million years would her mother ever let her date someone like Tendou.

Kiyoko chuckled for hundredth time.

Yachi turned her head on her pillow so she was facing Kiyoko, her eye twitching as she eyed the giggling girl. “It’s not that funny,” Yachi said, which only made Kiyoko laugh harder.

Yachi closed her eyes, her lips tight as she fought the urge to laugh. At this point, Kiyoko's laughter had become infectious and it wasn't long before Yachi joined in, slowly at first before both the girls were in full laughter like squawking birds.

They laughed together, eventually just laughing for the sake of laughing, both of them finding each other’s face and mirth comical. It felt good to laugh, it felt good to feel something other than stress and anxiety, and Yachi welcomed it like a warm cup of tea on a cold night. 

Slowly, their squawks turned to chuckles and eventually died down to soft huffs of air. Yachi wiped away tears from her eyes before settling her hand over her chest, her cheeks and stomach sore. 

There was a peaceful moment of silence, were both the girls were about to slip into sleep before Yachi's phone interrupted them by loudly rattling against the wooden floor.

Kiyoko and Yachi both looked at the phone and then at each other. A sly smile spread across Kiyoko’s face but she made no comment.

Yachi reached for her phone.

‘Should I plan your funeral, Boss?’ Tendou texted, and Yachi huffed a small laugh.

She wanted to tell him that in the end he had been right. Completely right. That his intuition had been scary accurate and it spooked the soul out of her body. But she would never tell him that. 

‘Everything is fine.' 

He texted her a sticker of a winking red panda. Then three little dots came up, and then disappeared, and then came up again only to disappear once more.

“So what’s he like?” Kiyoko asked, pulling Yachi out of the trance as she waited for Tendou’s text. “I mean, on the court he’s mostly just a jester.”

Yachi‘s eyebrows furrowed. _He’s. . . Well, he’s just Tendou_ , she wanted to say but knew it wouldn’t cut it. In all honesty, she wasn’t really sure how to answer Kiyoko's question, because Tendou turned out to be more than she had ever expected someone with his looks could be. Although their interactions were few in between, she had still learnt a lot about him during the past week. And more towards the end when they had shared two nights together chatting over ice cream. 

Tendou was caring enough to walk with her to the store in the middle of night; intimidating enough to tease her to no end with his sharp eyes and mischievous smiles; frightening to the point her blood could turn to ice; gloomy and sad enough to make her heart ache in sympathy. He worked hard, always doing his best during practices even if he did complain everyone’s ear off. And when the going got tough, he always boosted the teams morale with his witty humour, making sure no one got too into their own heads.

“He’s a lot of things,” Yachi finally answered.

Her phone vibrated in her hand. She flicked her thumb across the screen to unlock it.

‘Please never make that face again,' Tendou texted. Three more dots popped again as he continued to type. A small blushed kissed her cheeks, touched by his message. ‘I think I’m going to have nightmare ‘cause of it now.’ Her smile melted away, her face unimpressed as she stared at the ceiling, slightly peeved by his comment.

"Jester is a good way to describe him though," Yachi replied, but it fell to deaf ears. Kiyoko had already drifted into sleep, leaving Yachi alone with her whirling thoughts.

* * *

Both the girls had slept in, enjoying the warmth of the morning sun against their backs. It was Sunday, so it was another half day for the camp, and Yachi relished the few extra hours of sleep.

But all good things had an end, so it wasn't long before Yachi got going with her day, her foot down on the pedal at full speed. The afternoon had gone by in a blink of an eye, the practice matches coming to a quick close, and before she knew it, Kiyoko and her were already cleaning things up.

Things were different between Kiyoko and Yachi now. It was as if some wall had been knocked down, and they could finally see each other clearly.

It was easier to talk, chatting about more than just work and volleyball. They talked about their families and school life, and Kiyoko had told her what 2nd and 3rd year were like. She also shared her fears about moving forward in life, and how the thought of not getting into the university she was striving for would shatter her heart, so she was making sure to work extra hard.

Kiyoko also opened up about how she had found the volleyball club and met Daichi, Suga, and Asahi, and how they had taught her about hard work and perseverance. They had all been through thick and thin moments, and she had watched them grow from boys into young men, and the thought always warmed her heart. Those three years had gone by too fast, flashing by her in a blink of an eye and she would do anything to slow time down so they could share a few more memories together before everyone went their own separate ways.

Yachi was amiable and sympathetic towards Kiyoko as she spoke, listening to every word intently, never missing a beat or a reply, her attention and heart fully invested in the conversation.

The girls continued with their cleaning over casual chatter, finishing up with last few things like putting the carts back into the storage closet and sweeping the floor.

Kiyoko grabbed the dust mop off the wall. “You never told me anything about him in the end.”

Yachi's cheeks turned pink as she pushed the cart against the wall. “I did,” she replied, nudging the cart with all her weight, “but you fell asleep.”

Kiyoko’s laughed sheepishly, rubbing the side of her head. "Sorry.”

Yachi shook her head. “It’s fine. All I said was that ‘he’s a lot of things.’” A slightly annoyed look crossed her eyes, recalling Tendou’s text about her face causing him nightmares. "And kind of rude."

“'A lot of things?' What does that mean?”

Yachi gently shrugged her shoulders. “That we really don't know each other at all.”

“Do you want to get to know him more?” Kiyoko asked, pushing her glasses up her nose.

Yachi's blood warmed up at the thought. She shook her head. “I‘d rather not."

Kiyoko chuckled into her hand. "You don't sound convincing at all, you know?"

* * *

It wasn’t long before dinner came around and the cafeteria had filled up. Yachi had taken the opportunity to use her new pens and highlighters to redo Kiyoko’s old notes, organizing them and making them pretty and easy to read.

There was a small smile on her face as she scribbled away, content and in a mental flow state as her pen glided across the smooth paper. She bobbed her head gently, listening to the music in her headphones, drowning out the noise of the cafeteria.

She stacked the papers together once she was done, tapping them against the table so they would all line up before filing them in a folder.

I’ll put all the progress related things in a red folder. _Medical related things will go in a green folder. . . Karasuno’s bills and fundraiser stuff in a blue one_. She nodded to herself, her eyes serious as she looked down at her folders. _I’ll label and put dates on them with my label gun when I get home._ She smiled proudly as she looked at her work. _It looks good._

Once she was done, she stacked everything into a neat pile before standing up and walking over to the vending machine to get something to drink. After deciding in a yogurt drink, she walked back to her table, sticking the straw in the box before sliding back into her seat. She pulled out her phone, scrolling through her notifications and social media apps.

A slight frown pulled at her lips as she looked at a picture of her two friends at the park, their smiles large as they looked at the camera.

Becoming manager had kept Yachi away from town during breaks because of the training camps, which meant she missed out on a lot of things back home. She couldn’t go to the mall with her friends, or hangout downtown as they all looked for a new cafe to try. There was no walks down to the water or bike rides along the rivers.

Yachi’s breaks now consisted of early mornings, piles of paperwork, and lots of running back and forth.

A dribble of sadness washed over Yachi’s heart as she tapped her phone screen with her thumb, liking her friend’s picture with slight bitterness. A small little heart popped on the screen before it faded

* * *

Kiyoko and Yachi were both sitting at a table by a window in the cafeteria, chatting over warm cups of tea as the sun set in the horizon with a dark orange tone. The cafeteria was quiet for the most part, a few stragglers here and there sitting down as they ate or talked with each other. 

"Kiyoko! Yachi!"

A surprised look washed over the girls faces as they turned their heads towards the source of the voice. It was Takeda. He was jogging up to them, waving around a stack of papers in the air like a flag. He stopped in front of them, slightly winded as he paused to catch his breath for a second. He stretched his hand out, offering Kiyoko the papers.

“Here is the schedule for this up coming week,” Takeda said as Kiyoko grabbed the papers from his hand. She placed them in the middle of the table so Yachi could see them as well. Yachi leaned forward on her seat, her eyes gliding over the paper as Takeda continued to talk, “It’s going to be a busy week.”

Kiyoko and Yachi scanned over the paper, both their set of eyes blowing wide open as they read over the list of school names.

Fukuroudani and Johzenji were arriving tomorrow.

“This should be fun," Kiyoko said, an excited smile on her lips. “The boys will be happy about this.”

"Yeah," Yachi agreed, slightly nervous and worried about the extra workload but nonetheless genuinely excited for the boys, knowing how happy they would be to have more opponents to play against.

"Also," Takeda said, rubbing the back of his head with a nervous look on his face. "Nekoma and Shiratorizawa both don't have managers, and one of Johzenji's manager has the flu so she won’t be making it either." He paused, giving both the girls a hesitant smile. "So to show good sportsmanship were going to help everyone out."

A flower of anxiety bloomed in Yachi's chest at Takeda's words. She looked at Kiyoko with worried eyes.

"One of Fukuroudani's manager already offered to help out Nekoma, sense both their schools practice together quite often."

Yachi swallowed, knowing exactly where this was going and dreading every second of it. _It’s either Kiyoko or me._

"And because you're still in training, Yachi, we thought it would be best if you went with Shiratorizawa. You don't have to do any paperwork for them or anything; just help out during their matches like you usually do anyways. Nothing serious." Takeda gave her a reassuring smile. “So don’t stress.”

Yachi tensed, her shoulders stiffening under her skin. "I'll do my best."

Kiyoko cheeks puffed out and she clapped a hand over her mouth before a laugh broke out.

Takeda made no comment at Kiyoko a strange behaviour, but one of his eyebrows went up as he eyed her curiously. “I’ll leave you ladies alone now. . .” He gave them a small bow. “Have a goodnight, you two.” He walked away, disappearing out the doors of the cafeteria.

"Here's your chance to get to know him—"

"Don't!" Yachi playfully snapped, her cheeks red as she pointed an warning finger at Kiyoko even though there was no threat on her face. Just a nervous smile. Her shoulders drooped, her head falling loosely forward. "I—"

She fought a wave of nausea, worms raving in her stomach. _Why does this keep happening?_

Yachi head tilted back and she looked at Kiyoko through her fingers. "What am I going to do?" Yachi whined, dragging her hands down her face, revealing just how red she was.

"What you do best," Kiyoko said, her eyes squinting as she smiled proudly at Yachi.

Yachi’s face morphed with confusion, her eyebrows furrowing together. "What's that?"

"Work incredibly hard.”

* * *

**Author’s Note:** I would like give everyone who left a comment a GIANT hug. You guys are the best and leave me smiling like a goofball all day. Thank you so much!! 

This was a bit of a slower chapter, as I am going back to the old ones and going over them. The amount of mistakes I keep finding. . . *Sigh* 

Oh well.

I’m really pumped for the next chapter which should be up prettyyyy soon!

Love you all and take care! ^.^


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